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Post by merckings on Jul 15, 2013 17:06:50 GMT -5
Will have to see what's left after I get done with her. If there's good meat on the bones I'll look into it for sure!
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Post by heavyhitting on Jul 17, 2013 5:15:45 GMT -5
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Post by Smashed Empire Films on Jul 26, 2013 12:16:55 GMT -5
To all the guys running out Dunkirk way...
The Lake Erie Rumble II has been moved to Sept. 7; it's the Saturday after Labor Day. It has moved around a little, but Rick K. said that this is the final move for that event.
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Post by irishal71 on Jul 29, 2013 6:16:23 GMT -5
Problem is there wasn't a single mention of the Lake Erie Rumble at Dunkirk yesterday. There was a good crowd and many would come back for the show. Most of the drivers I spoke with didn't know anything about it either. It could be a bigger show with a little promotion.
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Post by 24quad6s on Aug 2, 2013 0:22:17 GMT -5
august 10th and sept 29th belfast ny, turning into a great show this will be there 3rd year putting on a show, great track, decent rules a not stock but not built tanks that dont bend ........ log onto facebook and search for wny demolition derbies the rules are posted on the page at the top...hope to see some new drivers out that way
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Post by 24quad6s on Aug 2, 2013 1:04:23 GMT -5
actually not sure when sept show is, i will post as soon as i find out
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Post by irishal71 on Aug 7, 2013 6:43:18 GMT -5
Anybody have any additional info on the Lake Erie Rumble? I know the date was changed, but do we know classes, start time, etc? I talked to Hank Pencek and he"s as in the dark as anyone.
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Post by Smashed Empire Films on Aug 8, 2013 8:18:44 GMT -5
I'm getting little bits here and there.
So far, I believe it will be a series of one-and-dones, similar to the 2012 Format.
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Post by Smashed Empire Films on Aug 8, 2013 8:31:40 GMT -5
I've wanted to latch on and run some heavier promotion on it, but similarly, I know the fairboard is touchy about stuff at their grounds and I don't want to step on toes and screw anything up. I was told Saturday that Rick is no longer associated with the program.
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Post by Smashed Empire Films on Aug 9, 2013 0:48:37 GMT -5
*sigh*
it seems some fail to understand that one can't "pay" for the show before the show happens... I mean, I get all the math on the gate and calculating cost and metering expense and all that... but when your solution is what Johnny referenced, it looks bad. It almost telegraphs a lack of faith in the show. I understand sponsor dollars are hard to come by. But you can get 10 $50 sponsors and still get $500 instead of $500 from one sponsor.
You need to sell the show. Walking in with a hand open and hoping the local Napa will drop 500 in your lap won't work anymore. But, telling them how you'll have 50 cars in the pits (let's say each car draws 12 fans and another six in the pits... 50 x 18 = 900 people, plus 50 drivers...) there's a captive audience. Maybe borrow a junked car from someone who has them lying around... have 'derby day' at the local Napa... paint the car up with Napa colors? Or put the Lake Erie Rumble logos all over it. Hand out flyers, chat with fans and passers-by, hand out discount ticket vouchers... Now, you've taken that $500 put a value on it. There is a return on that expense... it's an easier pill to swallow. And when they see you working that hard for 500, maybe next year its 700...
If it were me? I wouldn't change admission/registration rates. Maybe even lower them. It sounds foolish, but you never know. I would hit up a car dealership, and work out a deal with them... maybe, say, for each ticket redeemed from the event, the fan gets $5 off an oil change, or filter, or a free tire rotation or something. It will generate foot traffic... that tire rotation will lead to an oil change, or a new set of rotors for the dealership... I know there are drivers out there who would do the parts store thing on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon... Moreso, offer a free pass to any 2013 fair champion in the State (must prove it, of course). Dunkirk has a very central core of drivers, who support almost blindly anything that happens at the fairgrounds. If that group of drivers can't support the event within themselves, widen the draw. Visit some other events, mail out rules... It's a shame no one in Dunkirk knows someone who does media, flyers, PR, highlight reels, marketing strategies and flyers (*cough, cough*)...
More cars doesn't mean a better show; but new cars bring new money.
If you have no faith in the show, then don't do the event. Slashing payouts and making it more expensive to get in isn't going to correct anything, it will hurt it. Pre- and Post-season events, once a payout is set, should (unfortunately for leery promoters) meet or exceed the previous season in perpetuity. Drivers come to expect that certain level. If the payout drops, they don't expect the entry to rise. if the payout goes UP, then a minor hike in registration might not be too painful. But in terms of payout, even if it might plateau, or stagnate staying at the level met in the past will gain at least some street cred... and within - lets say, three seasons? three iterations? The event itself will build a following. Followings breed curiosity. Curiosity draws new money; travelling fans and cars alike. Cutting purses and raising gate fee, for any event, be it derby or circle track, the second time around is a slippery slope. Not one that cannot be recovered, but it's rusty knife surgery with chainsaw precision.
I've toyed with the idea of a driver appreciation event. No preregistration. No entry fee. Drivers don't buy a pit pass. Make it small to start, chain-and-go rules with a modest 800-1000 payout. Non-drivers - $30 pit pass, $12 Grandstand admission... drum up a few sponsors and it might work. But who knows. It's backward.
Look - I don't claim to be an expert, but I think there's some thought to be given: cars still cost the same, materials to build and fix cost a little more... people will either scrap out or not go if the driver sees a significant reduction in potential returns.
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Post by 1badimpkiller on Aug 9, 2013 14:29:37 GMT -5
Chris you hit the nail on the head here. The same goes for the fair show in Dunkirk. I watched from the stands this year as did many of the other "dedicated" guys you have known to count on for years to bring the show. The same group of people have been running things farther into the ground and are on track to losing the crews who have kept things afloat for years. It looks like time to ditch Bonj, and the scab crews of promoters, and officials and bring in some real promotional talent and out of town officials. If the fair loses anymore drivers the demo will complete the collapse of the entire fair and its 130+ year history. The September show is a joke, there has been little to no promotional effort involved, aside from the chatter(which has been wrong and repeatedly changed) in the derby community not many people are even aware of this show. By catering these shows to one group of guys all the other drivers will be so alienated that they take their cars to other shows, then the Ellmans can have their way and fight for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
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Post by Smashed Empire Films on Aug 10, 2013 0:40:20 GMT -5
My intention is not to specifically run down one person or another. I know it probably came off that way went I soapbox'ed in the wake of Johnny's comment. It just frustating for me - who comes from a PR/Journalism/Media background - and you see so many people frustrated, yet any observation, suggestion or effort to volunteer is ignored. I kinda laid a few things out there that are debatable, but I believe what I believe and can offer indepth examples to back it up.
What happened to promoting? Taking your driver base for granted is the number one error of soooo many shows I go to. I struggle with that myself in working on the videos. I don't like the delays in turning things around. So, I end up putting in more time and more effort to make the wait worth it, and I've launched the magazine thing to try and add another dimension for promoters who I work with (and on my own) to make their drivers more like the rockstars and show stoppers they are... You could have a media field day with the Fair and Dunkirk area... the outgoing cast of characters and polarizing personalities remain an untapped means of making the fair show quite popular ... which would only feed the post-season monster.
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Post by 1badimpkiller on Aug 10, 2013 10:02:38 GMT -5
I got ya, my point was not to call out one group of guys, it was to highlight that running a show around one group in a sport is the damning factor of a show. The crowd is tired of it, the drivers are fed up. Then you add on top that the payout is slight compared to others, the promotions are limited at best, and the promoters cannot handle constructive criticism! I talked with a bunch of guys last night and we are looking into bringing these issues forefront to the board. Hopefully we have enough clout to push for some changes. PM me if you would like to talk more about possible changes, you guys do a lot of shows, maybe we can incorporate all the positives of these shows to bring our show back to a first class event.
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Post by fallinskiestwice on Aug 12, 2013 19:57:00 GMT -5
Anyone know how many small cars usually show up to the rumble? also rules? i see the chain and go rules but no other class rules
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Post by Smashed Empire Films on Aug 16, 2013 22:35:51 GMT -5
LER2 will likely be as mixed as the first... which was well, mixed. at LER1 They had like 10 mid size, 8 80s fords, 10-ish chain class, 20-25 compact, 2 ironmans (outlaws), and a slew of Fair Class cars... same weld-ish style rules as the fair allows
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